With five minutes left before the deadline, Hyannis town councilor Greg Milne became the 25th and final person to take out nomination papers for Barnstable Charter Commission.

It's an interesting move for an incumbent running unopposed for reelection, as the charter he hopes to change precludes one individual from holding two elected town offices.

In an interview early Friday evening, Milne said that he'd been watching the charter commission race shape up since June and believes that his efforts to get the question on the ballot committed him to be a part of the conversation.

"I gave my blood and guts to this effort," Milne said of the signature drive that led to the charter question.

It was Milne who picked up the ball on the signature drive after a year's hiatus brought when the initial organizer pulled back for health reasons.

Milne said that he brought about 35 volunteers into the effort, who stood in often cold and inclement weather to gather the needed 4,600 signatures and a good measure more.

Milne is running unopposed for reelection to the Precinct 13 town council seat, making him a virtual lock for that elective office. The charter that Milne hopes to see changed prohibits residents from holding two elective offices at the same time.

Section 3-2 of the charter states, "Any voter shall be eligible to hold any elective town office provided that, no person shall simultaneously hold more than one elective town office."

Milne isn't convinced that he should be excluded from serving as both a councilor and a member of the charter commission.

He said that there has been inconsistent application of the town's regulations regarding individuals running for elective office. He pointed to the recent situation with Maureen Niemi, a six-year town employee running for the elected town collector's position. Niemi faced the possibility of taking an unpaid leave of absence during the time she was a candidate for office until a change in the town's personnel policy provided discretion in that matter.

Milne said that there have been town employees, School Committee chairman Ralph Cahoon in particular, who remained on the town's payroll for his two runs for school committee and another for the 1999-2001 charter commission.

The councilor added that he looks upon the service provided by embers of a charter commission as something other than as elected officials. he said they are really citizen participants in a government, and not n any permanent way.

Milne acknowledged that those are arguments to come, but questioned who the "enforcer" of such regulations is, especially as they've been applied in the past.

As for his motivation to change the charter, Milne said that it is not about the current town manager, but the form of government and what he termed as a "bad charter." He does not believe the present representation of councilors, elected by 1/13th of the town's population, should be in a position of hiring and maintaining the top executive.

"John [Klimm] should not have to work for the likes of us," Milne said of himself and his fellow councilors.